Effects of short-term infusion with propionate on the mRNA expression of a putative G-protein coupled receptor 41 (GPR41) in adipose tissue of goats

Short chain fatty acids (SCFA) represent the main source for energy supply in ruminants. Propionate up-regulates leptin synthesis through the G protein-coupled receptor 41 (GPR41) in mice but the importance of the GPR41 in ruminants is not yet clarified. Here we characterise the short-term effects of intravenously infused propionate on a putative GPR41 mRNA in goat adipose tissue. Castrated male goats (Capra hircus) received propionate infusion or NaCl solution with equivalent sodium content for 260 min. A putative GPR41 mRNA was quantified in subcutaneous and perirenal adipose tissue by real-time RT-PCR. The mRNA concentration of the putative GPR41 mRNA increased (p = 0.029) in subcutaneous but not in perirenal adipose tissue (p = 0.756) of propionate-infused animals versus the NaCl group. We hypothesise that the differential response of the putative GPR41 mRNA in subcutaneous versus perirenal adipose tissue towards short-term propionate infusion could be involved in a differential nutrient sensing of SCFA in the two adipose depots of goats.